Trail Blazers Club

In January, Friends of the Valdese Rec started building a sustainable trail at Valdese Lakeside Park. Volunteers learned there was a big difference between existing deer trails and the techniques used to build…

Burke River Trail – Foundation Laid

The foundation was laid today for the first section of the Burke River Trail – 4 miles from McGalliard Falls to Valdese Lakeside Park to Draughn High School to a private development.

Farris Insurance Workday

Farris Insurance held a “give-back-to-the-community” volunteer workday at Valdese Lakeside Park. 10 Folks, 4 Lawn Mowers, 1 Chain Saw, 1 ATV, Lots of other Tools = A Ton of Work Done!!!

Stream Restoration

On May 6, Resource Institute visited McGalliard Falls Park and Valdese Lakeside Park. They are a stream/river restoration firm (spoke at a Catawba River Wildlife Coalition meeting) and want to help restore McGalliard…

Stock Donations

Friends of the Valdese Rec now accepts gifts of stock. We have a brokerage account with First Citizens Investor Services. Contact us for more information.

McGalliard Falls History

In the early days, the Waldenses, who settled Valdese in 1893, enjoyed walking to the Falls on Sunday afternoon – in their church clothes – for a picnic of bread, cheese and fruit.…

Trail Camera

Thanks to Ruth Fletcher Gage and Zakk Heile, we are getting a closer look at the wildlife at Valdese Lakeside Park. After Beth Heile commented that she could not get a picture of…

Caterpillar to Butterfly – Conservation Kids

Starting a Butterfly Kit at the first  Conservation Kids monthly program was the plan for March. The goal was to leave the transforming caterpillars at the library for kids to drop in and…

Private Road?

Companies and individuals are contributing to the success of Valdese Lakeside Park in ways you would never think. At this time, Valdese Leasing, LLC and Shuford Development, Inc. own the land that Lake…